It’s not unusual to see a group of athletes gathered together at the end of a game, praying together at the center of the field. But what place does prayer have in sports – for fans and athletes? Actually, those are two different questions: what place does prayer have in sports for fans? What place does it have for athletes?
Fans
Sports fans are a different breed. Remember, the word “fan” is short for “fanatic.” I enjoy sports, but I don’t think that I’m a fanatic. I don’t live and die with every game. I’m happy if my team wins; if they win a championship, I celebrate. But I don’t sink into despair when they lose. My life doesn’t revolve around their schedule. And, to the point of this article, I don’t pray for them to win.
Why not? First, because there are probably people praying for their opponent to win. Why would God favor one side over the other in an athletic competition? Contrary to what we may want to believe, “our” team is not “better” (in a spiritual sense) than “their” team. Second, if I pray for my team to win, does that weaken my faith if they lose? Do I feel that God has let me down by not causing my team to win? Third – and far more importantly – do I devote the same time and passion to praying for other things as I do in praying for my team? Am I praying for my neighbors and coworkers? The other members of my church family? Those in my community who are in need? Am I praying for God’s direction on how I might serve His kingdom with the same fervor?
Prayer is our communication with God. I’d like to think that we focus our prayers on things that are important – on things that God thinks are important. After all, Jesus told us to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Do we really think that our team winning is a priority of God’s kingdom?
Athletes
The matter of athletes praying is quite different. After all, they are actively engaged in the competition, and there are a number of ways that athletes might pray appropriately:
- To do their best
- For God to keep them – and their opponents – from injury
- That God might help them to reflect the spirit of Christ
- To glorify God in both their actions and their attitudes
I’ve seen a number of athletes who “thank their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” as they are interviewed after a game – usually, that’s the first thing that they say. On the surface, that’s a good thing; after all, we should thank God for everything that He does for us, every day. But I often wonder if those athletes would say the same thing if they were interviewed after a game that they lost. We should, of course; Scripture teaches us to be thankful in all things, not just when things go our way. And I don’t mean to imply that any particular athlete would not do so; I’ve just never seen it. That’s probably because journalists want to interview the “winners” right after the game, rather than the “losers.” But if we can’t thank God “in the agony of defeat” as well as “in the thrill of victory,” then what kind of commitment do we have to Him?
What Place Does Prayer Have in Sports for Fans and Athletes?
Sports is a microcosm of life. Even the Bible uses metaphors of athletic competition to describe our spiritual journey:
- “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
- “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).
- “And if someone likewise competes as an athlete, he is not crowned as victor unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5).
But while sports might be a microcosm of life, they are not life itself – just a small part of it. We must be careful not to mistake the portion for the whole. And what that means is that sports serve our broader lives; they do not control them. The way that we view prayer – whether as a spectator or a competitor – reflects our broader spiritual journey. Are we seeking to win? Seeking glory, fortune, and fame? Or are we seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness? Our attitude toward sports – and everything else in life – ought to demonstrate that God holds first place for us.
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